Meet mayor mike
Growing up Point
Family is one of the most important influences in someone's life. Our father passed away suddenly at 36 years old. My mother raised us on Dad's social security as her only income. Things were tough, but If it weren't for the compassion of family, things would have been a lot tougher. Mom somehow managed to keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs. I grew up understanding the struggles of fixed incomes, rising costs and the challenges many families face.
As Mayor, we've worked with and supported agencies and programs to help.
Rent Ready, Housing Tax credit projects, attracting living wages jobs, creating a warming center, and easing housing restrictions in our zoning code have all helped and we're not done yet!
Putting people and resources together
A big part of being Mayor is helping connect resources. I know that it always takes more than one person to get something done. Living in Stevens Point my whole life, I've been able to meet hundreds of great people who work together, every day, to get things done! As your Mayor, that has been an invaluable tool. Knowing where to go when we have problems to solve is a resource you need to cultivate over a lifetime!
Getting to YES
I've never been someone who accepts "That's the way we've always done it" or 'We tried that before and it didn't work". I have always tried to find a way to get to "yes". Don't tell me why we can't do something, help us figure out a way we can. That is the simple philosophy we've used to put up murals, paint trash cans and recycling trucks and create spaces like Cultural Commons. We've also used it to install low carbon efficiencies, gain a Sol-Smart Gold rating, a silver level bike friendly community, and a high flier bird city. We've said yes to improving pedestrian travel, expanding our parks and recreational opportunities, starting a compost program, creating a vibrant downtown and providing better access for citizen to their government!